2010 Asia-Pacific International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, April 12 - 16, 2010, Beijing, China

Study on a Protection Scheme for a 500kV GIS

Substation Against Direct Lightning Strokes
Liuchun Zhang, Dong Ge, Cuixia Zhang, Yu Yin, Shuchun Du
High Voltage Department, China Electric Power Research Institute
No.15,Xiaoying RD(E),Qinghe, Beijing 100192,China
1
zhangliuchun@epri.ac.cn

Abstract—The preliminary designed protection scheme for a

500kV GIS substation against direct lightning strokes was
adopting combined protection by installing two parallel shield
wires and two lightning masts. To confirm the feasibility of the
proposed scheme, polygon method and rolling sphere method
were used. Results obtained by these two methods showed that
the combined protection scheme for the 500kV substation against
direct lightning strokes was feasible.
I. INTRODUCTION
The power apparatus in a substation may be exposed to
lightning in two ways [1]: one is by voltage and current waves
travelling along the exposed lines leading to the station, the
other is by direct lightning strokes to the station.
Outdoor substations and switchyards are shielded against
direct lightning strokes by shield wires and/or masts. The
methods to determine the protected area of shield wires and
lightning masts are mainly polygon method [2], rolling sphere
method [3] and electro-geometric model method [4].
In this paper, the preliminary designed protection scheme
for a 500kV substation against direct lightning strokes was
installing two parallel shield wires and two lightning masts.
To confirm the feasibility of the proposed scheme, polygon
method and rolling sphere method were used to estimate the
combined protection area of shield wires and lightning masts.
II. PRELIMINARY DESIGNED DIRECT LIGHTNING STROKE
PROTECTION SCHEMES FOR A 500KV SUBSTATION
Direct lightning stroke protection scheme for the 500kV
substation was installing two parallel shield wires at equal
height upon the conductor from GIS to the generator
transformer, and installing two lightning masts at the equal
height nearby the GIS bushing, which is shown in Fig.1. In the
figure, the height of two shield wires are 28m and the distance
between them is 28m. The height of double bundle conductors
are 20m and the distance between the conductors is 8m. The
height of two masts is 35m and the distance between them is
28m.
Masts(35m)
III. POLYGON METHOD
A. Principle of Polygon Method
Polygon method developing from protection angle method
suggests that the cross-section edges of the area protected by
shield wires or masts are two-broken lines (Protection angle
method suggests that the edges are straight lines.). In China,
direct lightning stroke shielding design of 110kV ～ 750kV
substations all adopt this method. Plenty of substation
operation experiences for many years showed that direct
lightning stroke protection effect was reliable for substations
designed by this method. The principles of polygon method
for the masts and shields are as follows.
1) Protected area of two masts at equal height
The protected area on the outer side of two lightning masts
shall be determined using the calculation method for a single
lightning mast. The method to compute the protected area of a
single lightning mast is as follows:
The protection radius of a lightning mast at ground level
shall be calculated by the following formula:
r =1.5hP (1)
Where：
r——Protection radius，m；
h——Height of lightning mast，m；
P——Height influence coefficient ， P = 1 for h ≤ 30m ；
P = 5.5 h for 30m<h ≤ 120m and h is taken as 120m when
h > 120m 。
The protection radius on the horizontal plane of the
protected object at the height of hX shall be determined by the
following method:
For hX ≥ 0.5h ,
rX = ( h − hX )P = ha P (2)
Where：

hX ——Height of the protected object，m；

Shield wires(28m)
rX ——Protection radius of lightning mast at the horizontal
plane of hX ,；
Conductors(20m)

ha ——Effective height of lightning mast，m.

For hX < 0.5h
Fig. 1 Direct lightning strokes protection for the conductors from GIS to the (3)
rX = (1.5h − 2hX )P
generator transformer

978-1-4244-5623-9/10/$26.00 ©2010 IEEE 1494

 The protected area between two lightning masts shall be
determined by the circular arc passing the top points of both
masts and the lowest point O of the protected area upper edge,
and the radius of the circular arc shall be R′O . Point O is the
hypothetical top point of the lightning mast, and its height
shall be calculated using the following formula:
D (4)
hO = h −
7P
Where：
hO ——Height of the lowest point on upper edge of the
protected area between two masts，m；
D ——Distance between two lightning masts，m。
The minimum width bX on one side of the protected area at
the horizontal plane hX between two masts shall be
determined according to Fig.2, bX shall take the value of rX
when bX > rX .
After obtaining bX , the protected area between the two
masts can be plotted according to Fig.3.
(a) D (ha P) = 0～7 (b) D (ha P) = 5～7
Fig.2 Relationship of b (the minimum width on one side of the protected
X
area between two masts at equal height (h)) and D (ha P) using polygon method
Fig.3 Protected area of two lightning masts at equal height (polygon method)
2) Protected area of two parallel shield wires at equal height
The protected area on the outer side of the two shield wires
shall be determined using the calculation method for single
shield wire.
For hX ≥ 0.5h ,
rX = 0.47(h − hX )P
Where:
rX ——Width of the protected area on each side, m；
h ——Height of the shield wires；
hX ——Height of the protected object, m；
P——Height influence coefficient，P=1 for h ≤ 30m ； for
30m<h ≤ 120m , and h is taken as 120m when h > 120m 。
For hX < 0.5h ,
rX = (h − 1.53hX )P （6）
The protected area of each cross-section between the two
shield wires shall be determined by the circular arc passing
points 1 and 2 of the two shield wires and the lowest point O
at the edge of the protected area. The height of point O shall
be calculated using the following formula:
D
hO = h − （7 ）
4P
where:
hO ——Height of the lowest point on upper edge of the
protected area between two shield wires，m；
D ——Distance between two shield wires，m;
h ——Height of the shield wire，m。
Fig.4 Protected area of two parallel shield wires at the equal height
The protected area on both sides at the ends of two shield
wires will still be using the calculation method for single
shield wires. The minimum width bx of protected area between
two wires (Referring to Fig.3) can be determined using the
following method:
For hX ≥ 0.5h ,
bx = 0.47 ( hO − hx ) P （8）
For hX < 0.5h ,
bX = ( hO − 1.53hX ) P （9）
The detailed description can be seen in [2].
B. Estimation Results Using Polygon Method
In the direct lightning strokes shielding scheme, the height
of two lightning masts at the equal height is 35m, the distance
between them is 28, and the height of the protected conductor
is 20m. The protected area of this two lightning masts
computed by the polygon method is described as follows:
（5）
(1) The protected area on the outer side:
The protection radius of two masts on the ground is 48.8m,
and the protection radius rX on the horizontal plane of the
protected object is13.9m。
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(2) The protected area between two masts： IV. ROLLING SPHERE METHOD
The height hO of the lowest point on upper edge of the
A. Principle of Rolling Sphere Method
protected area between two masts is 31m。 Rolling sphere method is a simplified technique for
(3) The protected area of the sides between two masts applying the electro-geometric theory to the shielding of
The minimum width bx on one side of the protected area at substations. The technique involves rolling an imaginary
the horizontal plane hX between two masts is 13.9m。 sphere of prescribed radius over the surface of a substation.
In the direct lightning strokes protection scheme, the height The sphere rolls up and over (and is supported by) lightning
of two shield wires at the equal height is 28m, the distance masts, shield wires, fences, and other grounded metal objects
between them is 28m, and the height of the protected intended for lightning shielding. A piece of equipment is
conductor is 20m. The protected area of this two shield wires protected from a direct stroke if it remains below the curved
computed by the polygon method is described as follows: surface of the sphere by virtue of the sphere being elevated by
(1) The protected area on the outer side: shield wires or other devices. Equipment that touches the
The width of the protected area by two shield wires on the sphere or penetrates its surface is not protected.
ground is 28m, and the width rX on one side of the protected For 500kV substation, when the amplitude of the lightning
current directly striking conductors is larger than a certain
area at the horizontal plane hX between two shield wires on value I S , the lightning overvoltages at the equipments will
the ground is 3.8m。 exceed their lightning impulse withstand voltage (LIWV), and
(2) The protected area of each cross-section between two destroy the equipments. I S can be estimated by the following
shield wires： formula[3]:
The height hO of the lowest point on upper edge of the LIWV × 1.1 2.2 × (LIWV)
IS = = (10)
protected area between two shield wires is 21m。 ( Z C 2) ZC
(3) The protected area on both sides at the ends of two shield Where:
wires： I S ——the allowable maximal stroke current of the
The minimum width bx of the protected area on both sides conductors in the substation，kA；
at the ends of two shield wires at the horizontal plane hX is LIWV——the lightning impulse withstand voltage of
0.47m。 substation equipments，kV；
For the 500kV substation, the combined protected area Z C
——the lightning surge impedance of substation
and the cross-section of the protected area by the lightning conductors，Ω；
masts and shield wires at the height of 20m are shown in Fig.4. 1.1——coefficient considering lightning cannel surge
From Fig.4, it can be seen that the conductor from GIS to the impedance。
generator transformers are under the combined protected area Lightning stroke distances at the lightning current of I S can
of the lightning masts and shield wires.
Lightning mast
be looked as the rolling sphere radius S m , and take the rolling
sphere with this radium as the proof to justify whether the
Overhead shield wire

direct lightning stroke shielding system of the substation is

reliable or not. S m will be calculated using the following
T S R

Area protected by lightning masts

formula[4]:
S m = 10 I S0.65 (11)
Area protected by shield wires

B. Estimation Results using Rolling Sphere Method

（a）The combined protected area by lightning masts and shield wires In the 500kV substation, the lightning impulse withstand
voltages of the generator transformer and other equipments
are all 1675kV. The type of the double bundle conductor from
GIS to the generator transformer is 2×LGJQT-1400, its height
is 20m, and its surge impedance is 360Ω by calculation. The
allowable direct stroke current of the conductor from GIS to
Protected area the generator transformer can be calculated by substituting the
surge impedance of 360Ω into the formula (10), and the
obtained value is IS = 2.2 × 1675 / 360 = 10.236(kA) , which
means the lightning current larger than 10.236kA directly
striking the conductor can make the substation equipments
(b)The protected area section at the height of 20m
destroyed. The rolling sphere radius S m can be calculated by
Fig.4 Protected area of the conductor from GIS to the generator transformer substituting I S into the formula (11) and the obtained value is
using polygon method

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45.4m. Fig.5 shows the condition that the rolling sphere with
the radius of 45.4m descends to the conductor from GIS to the
generator transformer. From this figure, it can be seen that
there is still 5.8m distance from the lowest point of the rolling
sphere to the conductor, that is, the magnitude of the lightning
current larger than 10.236kA will not strike the conductor.
The direct lightning strokes shielding system of the conductor
from GIS to the generator transformer is effective.
Lightning mast
Overhead shield wir
T S R
(a) Section of the conductor from GIS to the generator transformer
Lightning masts Shield wires
Conductors
Gantry
(b) Side of the conductor from GIS to the generator transformer
Fig.5 Protected condition of the conductor from GIS to the generator
transformer using the rolling sphere method
V. CONCLUSIONS
This paper studied the feasibility of the preliminary
combined protection scheme for the 500kV GIS substation.
The results are as follows:
(1) Result studied by polygon method showed that the
conductor from GIS to the generator transformer is under the
combined protected area of shield wires and lightning masts.
(2) Result studied by rolling sphere method showed that
the lightning protection system of the conductor from GIS to
the generator transformer is feasible
(3) Result studied by polygon method and rolling sphere
method fully confirmed that the combined protection schemes
e against the direct lighting strokes on the substation are
reasonable.
REFERENCES
[1] P.Chowdhuri，Shielding of substations against direct lightning strokes
by shield wires，IEEE transactions on power delivery, 9(1):314-
323,1994.
[2] Overvoltage Protection and Insulation Coordination for AC Electrical
Installations, Electrical Power Industry Profession Standard of the
People's Republic of China. DL/T620-1997.
[3] IEEE Guide for Direct Lightning Stroke Shielding of Substations,IEEE
Std. 998-1996.
[4] IEEE guide for improving the lightning performance of transmission
lines, IEEE Std. 1243-1997.
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